ABSTRACT
You don’t go into a vacuum. Your new school is a going concern. If you got run over by a bus on your way in on the first morning, the school would get through the day – and beyond, without much trouble. So you have to perform this very difficult trick of both fitting in and taking the reins. You have to be both passenger and chauffeur at the same time.
Taking over a failing school really is one of those classic, hand-rubbing, ‘let’s get stuck in’ challenges. It’s the sort of thing that a rising star who’s on top of their game can relish. For one thing, it’s often very clear to everyone that something has to be done – results down, misbehaviour up, parents voting with their feet. The aims, though probably not the means, are clear, and it’s easy to get people to sign up to them.
